Various types of grills are commonly used for cooking meats and other foods. These grills may be portable, using charcoal briquettes or bottled gas, or may be installed in a patio, backyard or other location using for example natural gas or electricity.
One problem with all of these grills is that grease and other drippings from the food can touch the heating elements and can ignite producing flare-ups which can ruin the food being cooked. Grease forming on the heating elements, particularly for gas and electric grills, can also adversely affect both the appearance and operation of these heating elements. Cleaning grease from the heating elements is an unpleasant and time consuming job.
While deflectors have been proposed in the past to prevent grease from dripping on the heating elements, these deflectors have generally formed a protective cover over the heating element, preventing heat in the form of radiant energy from the heating elements from being directly transmitted to the food being cooked. This has adversely affected the efficiency of the grill. A need therefore exists for an improved deflector mechanism for grills which protects the heating elements from food drippings, while still providing a clear path for radiant energy from the heating elements to the food.